That should be the divine artifact within, claimed by Wu Zhanxia. It's odd that he didn't take it away. Someone from the crowd replied.
"Master Ting, I know what this thing is." A slightly chubby guy walked out, bowing to Ding Huanyi.
Ding Huan's gaze fell on this plate, and he said calmly: "You are a talent."
This guy was the one who quietly gave Wu Zhanxia a way out back then, and also gave him face.
"Master Ting, you are too kind," Chē Zòngzǐ quickly replied.
"Zhongzi Che, what you have to say, just say it quickly, don't be fiddling around." Qi Yonghan had no goodwill towards the fat guy.
This fellow offends no one and goes out of his way to please Wu Zhanxia, holding a certain status here.
Zhongzi Che showed a thick and wide smile: "Brother Qi is correct."
After saying this, he looked at Ding Huanyi again: "Master Ting, this bamboo forest is called the Life and Death Forest. It's not a good place." Everyone's heart tightened upon hearing Zhongzi Che say that this place was called the Life and Death Forest. Some people even glanced back, wondering if they could leave quickly if anything happened? Zhongzi Che didn't pay much attention to everyone's emotions and continued to say:
"The reason this bamboo forest is called the Life and Death Forest is because of the mist. Don't look at it and think there's nothing wrong with it. If someone dares to enter the mist without fear of death, they will be torn apart immediately, their physical bodies shredded and their spiritual essence crushed."
These misty clouds, are in fact, emanating from this Life and Death Mirror.
"Is this giant cauldron called Life and Death Mirror?" Ding Huan asked with confusion.
Zhongzi Che nodded: "That's right, that is the Life and Death Mirror. In fact, Wu Zhanxia was able to lock this valley with the aid of a divine formation and nearly harm Master Ding with the help of the Life and Death realm, all because of this Life and Death Mirror." "You mean Wu Zhanxia has refined the Life and Death Mirror?" Ding Huan was somewhat suspicious in his heart.
Zhongzi Che shook his head: "No, Wu Zhanxia does want to refine the Life and Death Mirror. However, he has limited strength and has tried for hundreds of years without making any progress. Instead, he has found some patterns and utilized some principles of the Life and Death Mirror to simulate the false celestial-human bridge space for us living beings. 'I have known there are problems with the celestial-human bridge path inside for a long time. Indeed, it turns out so." Someone in the crowd again expressed dissatisfaction.
Ignoring him, everyone's gaze fell on Zhongzi Che.
"Wu Zhanxia has always wanted to refine the Life and Death Mirror, but he has been unable to do so for so many years. And that whirlpool does indeed lead to a higher realm of existence..." Someone interrupted Zhongzi Che: "Zhao friend, can this place really lead to the heavenly realm?"
The whirlpool leading to a higher realm, isn't that the heavenly realm?
Zhongzi Che responded: "That's right. Because the Life and Death Mirror is here, all cultivators who want to leave this whirlpool will be engulfed by the Life and Death Mirror.
Upon hearing this, everyone felt a weight in their hearts.
Ding Huan asked in a low voice, "Is the Life and Death Mirror placed here intentionally by others?"
Zhongzi Che said: "I'm not sure about that. According to Wu Zhanxia's research on the Life and Death Mirror for years, he came to a conclusion. That is, as long as you step into the true celestial-human bridge realm, there will be a chance to break free from the death attraction of the Life and Death Mirror and plunge into the whirlpool." Hearing this, everyone's gaze dimmed down.
Zhongzi Che fell silent for a moment before continuing, "In fact, every year Wu Zhanxia leads people into here to try various methods to enter the whirlpool without being drawn away by the Life and Death Mirror. It's obvious that he has failed. Until now, Wu Zhanxia has not found a good way out."
"Wasn't it after Wu Zhanxia failed to advance to the celestial-human bridge space through simulating the celestial-human bridge space that he came up with this idea of sending the cultivators here to die in order to find a way out?" Ding Huan asked.
Zhongzi Che sighed: "That should be the case. In the past few years, I have gradually distanced myself from Wu Zhanxia. If it wasn't for being unable to leave this place, I would have left long ago."
Master Ding, if you hadn't come, I estimate it would take another two or three years for me to arrive here to make attempts for Wu Zhanxia.
"Zhongzi Friend, when does the mist usually overflow from the river here?" someone in the crowd asked.
Zhongzi Che said: "Usually it's twelve zhi'chun. If someone is still here after the poisonous mist emerges, they will be instantly torn apart and their essence destroyed by the mist."
Ding Huan's gaze fell on the Life and Death Mirror. This mirror was of too high a grade for him to calculate.
Wu Zhanxia's cultivation level is similar to his, but when it comes to understanding the Dao, Ding Huan is confident that he can surpass Wu Zhanxia by a million streets.
Wu Zhanxia's inability to refine the Life and Death Mirror does not mean he cannot refine it.
If he could refine the Life and Death Mirror, would it mean that everyone could enter the whirlpool before us to seek their celestial fate?
Even if the Life and Death Mirror is as strong as his iron pot, it still wouldn't be stronger than his own iron pot.
As long as he can refine the first restriction of the Life and Death Mirror within ten zhi'chun, he can bind the corrosive Dao mist within.
Not only that, he can also control the death sweeping of the Life and Death Mirror over the cultivators entering the whirlpool. Thinking of this, Ding Huan spoke up: "I will try to control the Life and Death Mirror's death suction and these path-devouring mists. Believe me, just wait here, and if you don't believe me, feel free to go." Zhongzi Che was the first to say: "Master Ding, we have a hundred percent faith in you."
"Yes, we believe Master Ding." The others echoed in agreement.
Meanwhile, the several people who had come with Ding Huan remained silent,
Ding Huan knew better than anyone else that the ones who truly believed in him were the few people who had come in with him.
These people who say they believe in him are just saying it for now. If there is a real problem, they might leave the fastest.
Ding Huan paid no heed to this. He walked to the riverbank where the mist was dense, and directly constructed a large cosmos art cycle of heaven and earth.
The great cosmos art cycle enveloped the Life and Death Mirror as well. Halfway through the first cycle, an endless stream of deathly energy and vitality rushed in.
These energies were chaotic and disordered, almost beyond Ding Huan's vast Dao universe consciousness to bear.
Ding Huan spun his great cosmos art even more wildly. The starry rivers within the Dao universe were magnificent, with endless waves of Dao essence pulsating, as if endless ripples were flowing continuously within a vast river.
The twelve star systems connected by the star bridges kept rotating, and each of the streaked Dao essences was drawn into the star river, being worn away by the ceaseless flowing of the river, leaving behind only pure instances of various Dao principles.
During the first few cycles, Ding Huan had to bear the impact of various chaotic Dao qi breaths. As these chaotic qi continued to be carried into the star river by Ding Huan's great cosmos art cycle and washed away by the ceaseless flow, Ding Huan gradually approached the first restriction of the Life and Death Mirror.
Ding Huan was immersed in the refinement of his great cosmos art cycle, but the people outside were growing increasingly anxious.
Because, from the outside, Ding Huan seemed to show no change; it appeared as if only a layer of Dao essences was swirling around him.
The Life and Death Mirror in the misty river did not show any change.
In fact, eight or nine zhi'chun had passed.
Zhongzi Che had just said that the mist here would overflow from the river after twelve zhi'chun and then cover the entire bamboo forest again. Now, more than ten zhi'chun had passed since they entered, and it would take another zhi'chun to walk out from here. If they didn't leave now, they wouldn't have enough time if they waited any longer.
Jiqi, Cang Yongqian, and others did not move. They had come with Ding Huan. Even if the bone-destroying mist rose again, they would still wait here. The cultivators inside were a bit anxious and uneasy.
In the moment when there was only one zhi'chun left, a man finally couldn't hold back anymore:
"Zhao friend, should we continue to wait here?"
He was asking Zhongzi Che.
First issue
Zhongzi Che is the one who knows the most about the situation here. Since he hasn't left yet, he might know something.
Zhongzi Che calmly said: "I believe that Master Ding will certainly succeed. I will definitely wait here for Master Ding until the end of the world and beyond." Several people, including Qiyong Han, looked at Zhongzi Che in surprise.
It could be said that Zhongzi Che was Wu Zhanxia's first dog-licker. The guy did everything to follow Wu Zhanxia, doing whatever he said. If Wu Zhanxia told him to eat shit, the most he would do is ask how to eat it. How can a person be so fearless of death?
After all, if twelve zhi'chun passed and Ding Huan couldn't deal with the Life and Death Mirror, they were definitely doomed.
As for Ding Huan's chance to deal with the Life and Death Mirror, it's actually not very big.
Think about Wu Zhanxia, how many years has he been here?
Wu Zhanxia comes here almost every year, but up until now, he hasn't been able to control the Life and Death Mirror. How can Ding Huan possibly manage to do what Wu Zhanxia has failed to do for several hundred years in just eleven hours?
Even Jiqi couldn't help but want to ask Zhongzi Che, why are you so fearless of death?
In fact, Zhongzi Che knew better than anyone else that Ding Huan's chances of refining and controlling the Life and Death Mirror were less than one percent.
But he had grown tired of the humble and servile posture of constantly fawning over others.
After Wu Zhanxia dies, when Ding Huan fails, this place will return to its original state.
No need to ask, in the Shianfangu Valley controlled by Wu Zhanxia, a new strongman will emerge once again to become the valley master,
Zhongzi Che knows his own abilities; he is quite capable of being versatile, but his strength is pitifully low, placing him at the bottom here.
Whoever becomes the valley master will not be him, Zhongzi Che.
He, Zhongzi Che, will still be the same as before, fawning over others in a humble and subservient manner.
He entered the Creation Battlefield to seek a celestial destiny. Since the celestial destiny is gone, and he has lived humbly for several centuries, why continue to bow and scrape for mere survival?
To die is to die, he has seen so many deaths over the years, it doesn't matter anymore.
